02 October 2008 – Publication of Report 534 – Streamlining the assessment of Attendance Allowance applications with social care assessment: an evaluation of two London pilots
Research published today reports on an initiative to join up the process of applying for social care support with the application for Attendance Allowance (AA). The initiative aimed to reduce the number of times an individual needs to provide sensitive information in order to receive both financial and physical support.
Two London boroughs, Islington and Greenwich used their Single Assessment Process (SAP) form to enable their visiting officers to collect the information that they needed in order to carry out an assessment for social care support while at the same time with the client’s agreement, collecting the additional information required to apply for Attendance Allowance.
The evaluation found that the streamlined process brought significant improvements to the AA application process, particularly for clients, with average client visit times reduced by more than half. This was achieved in part by greater familiarisation and preparation by visiting officers. In addition some interviewees believed the process could lead to a modest increase in AA applications from clients needing social care.
Award decisions were being reached well within targets and duplication and repetition reduced. There is widespread support for the principle of the streamlined assessment process (StAP) and no long term capacity issues, with visiting officers better prepared, and for decision makers it was business as usual.
The pilot necessitated local authority staff working beyond their familiar brief leading to inevitable gaps in the information collected, typically around the client’s night needs. These required further action by decision makers, usually in the form of a telephone call to the client, in around 60% of cases. However, further drafting of the form took place during the latter stages of the evaluation and there was a strong view that improvement would come as familiarity with the StAP approach grew. Further staff development including improving the mutual understanding of the roles of the two different staff groups is identified as key to continually improving this joined-up customer centred approach.
Notes to Editors
- Research Report 534 Streamlining the assessment of Attendance Allowance applications with social care assessment : an evaluation of two London pilots.
- The author is John Hilton from the Local Government Centre, Warwick Business School, University of Warwick.
- The report draws on two rounds of interviews with key stakeholders and monitoring information from the pilots.
- The report can be found at: http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/
Prepared by: Department for Work and Pensions State Pensions, Older People and Pensions Reform Directorate
